Unlimited music re-downloads may come as part of MobileMe revamp

Apple is reportedly working out deals with the Big Four music labels to let …

iTunes music buyers may soon be able to re-download their purchased music tracks to all of their devices if Apple's latest negotiations are successful. According to unnamed music industry sources speaking to Bloomberg, Apple is currently in talks with the Big Four music labels—Sony Music, Universal Music Group (UMG), Warner Music Group (WMG), and EMI—to allow customers to download purchased music multiple times, and a deal could be reached as soon as mid-year.

Long-time iTunes users know that one of the more obnoxious differences between music and app downloads on the iTunes Store is the fact that apps (yes, even paid ones) can be re-downloaded a seemingly infinite number of times. In contrast, users can only download music tracks once—if you find yourself without backups and your music disappears, you must beseech the iTunes gods to let you re-download all your music—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, should they hear your prayers.

The music limitation is due to the licensing restrictions on music sold through iTunes; the music labels charge Apple for every download (whether the user has already paid for it or not), and therefore Apple passes on the cost to the customer for each download.

This has been the case since the iTunes Store opened in 2003—then known as the iTunes Music Store—but it sounds like times are changing. Two people speaking to Bloomberg said that an agreement between Apple and the music labels could be announced in the middle of 2011, which may coincide with a rumored MobileMe revamp. Bloomberg's sources corroborated previous reports that Apple was planning to allow users to store all manner of media in the cloud and access it from multiple iDevices, and that the service may end up being free.

If this is the case, it makes sense that Apple is working to renegotiate its music contracts. Users would not only need to be able to stream their purchased music from everywhere, it sure would be nice if they could download that music to different devices as well. Apple has reportedly assured the music labels that its 2009 purchase of music streaming service Lala was just "insurance," so it sounds as if Apple is committed to continue selling music downloads for as long as it can.